Quicksand
by thecapricornprince
Summary: AU! After an outbreak of a deadly plague, Nico and Bianca are the only ones left (that they know of) until Nico meets Percy. Their romantic journey to a safe haven with survivors begins there.


My heart sinks beneath me like how the sun sinks below the horizon.

"Please don't slip away from me," I whisper to my sister.

"I'm not going anywhere," She whispers back, her head is in my lap and her eyes closed. Her long, black hair flows over my legs and I run my hands through it. The infection has set onto her ribs and looks more ragged every time she shows it to me. I know she only has hours left. I don't want her to be in pain so I tried making her as comfortable as possible. I gathered all of the blankets I could find in this empty hotel. It's the best I could offer her. The Rose Isle Hotel is luxurious and we raided about every room we could find in it. Bianca found a silk, red dress and a white mink coat in one of the closets. I found a full black suit and tie. I can see why Las Vegas is such a popular place. It has everything.

On our last night together, we listen to all of Bianca's favorite songs. I hold back tears as Noname's "Don't Forget About Me" plays softly.

_I know everyone goes some day_

_ I know my body's fragile, know it's made from clay_

_ But if I have to go, I pray my soul is still eternal_

Her voice radiates throughout the silent room. I try to remember all of the time's I've ever seen her smile. She gets the grin whenever she gets a crazy idea and I tell her that there's no way I'm going to do it. Like skinny dipping at Lake Taylor and the shoplifting incident at the Forum Mall. She's wild, but I'd follow her to the ends of the earth.

"Nico?" She asks, opening her eyes and looking up at me with her almond brown eyes.

"Yes?"

"What do you think it will feel like?"

I bite my lip. I don't want to say anything.

She continues, "I wonder if it'll be all white like the movies show. I know we don't believe in heaven, but a little part of me hopes there's something out there for me."

"Don't worry about that," I say in my most soothing voice. "Let's just focus on right now."

She closes her eyes and hums to the music.

_All I am is everything and nothing at all_

_ All I am is shoulder for your heart to lean on_

_ All I am is love, all I am is love_

I watch as a tear falls across her tan skin. I wipe it for her and she mouths "Thank you." I look at her with a weak smile. She's the most beautiful girl on this earth. Onyx hair that falls down her back like a waterfall flowing over a cliff. Flawless, olive skin like a Greek goddess. And a smile that'll break a million hearts.

However, I admire her strength most of all.

Facing the end of the world is not a thing that everyone can survive. And everyone didn't survive. But we did. When the Wraith Plague broke out not many people made it out alive. Those who did have some kind of special gene or something that blocks the plague from entering the body. Scientist's didn't have much time to figure it out for sure before they were dead themselves. We do know that the virus is airborne and if anyone so much as coughs on you, you better hope you have those lucky genes. Bianca and I were lucky enough to have them. Well, it's a blessing and a curse.

Her breathing slows and I can't tell if she's about to slip into sleep or worse. She murmurs "Don't forget about me."

"Never." I whisper back and close my eyes.

When I wake up the next morning, Bianca's body is cold. I scoot her off of my lap. I pick her up and lay her down on the bed. I can't stop the tears from coming out. I don't even attempt to hold them back.

She's gone.

Out like a candle that's flame was just extinguished.

"I love you." I say and then I leave the room and head towards the balcony. I need air. My chest feels so heavy that it feels like I'm drowning. My vision is blurry with tears as I stare out across the Las Vegas strip. The cold breeze claws at my face as I stare at the empty buildings. This city is a ghost town now.

I walk back in the room and stare at Bianca's lifeless body on the gigantic bed. I scoop one of her hands into mine and lay on my side next to her. For a few minutes, I just soak in her beauty. I try to believe that she's just sleeping, so I whisper as to not wake her.

"Bianca, remember that time you beat up Robbie Martinez for calling me a faggot back when I was in ninth grade?" I ask, tears starting to form in my eyes again. "You broke his nose and told him and everyone else around us that you'd break his nose again if he ever called me that again," I lie my head on a pillow and stare up at the ceiling. "You were always so much stronger than me." I can't stop the tears this time, they've broken through the levee. "And remember that time you got me my first kiss with that guy at Lisa's party. I think he was really bad at it but I was still grateful that you tried," I laugh thinking about how his tongue tasted like beer and he didn't know what to do with it. "I never know where to go unless you're there to lead me, B. What am I supposed to do now?" I sigh and wipe the tears from my freckled face. I sit up and let the memories of Bianca run through my head like I'm trying to replay a movie. After a while, I can't take it anymore.

I decide that I need a drive so I grab the keys to my Nissan Maxima and head downstairs to the lobby. The lobby of Rose Isle is like a greenhouse. Tall green trees line the gold glass walkway and small pink and red flowers beautify the floor. I'm surprised they're not dead yet, everything else in this town has faded away. I head out the door to my car that's parked out front. I get in and start the engine. I ride in silence with my thoughts, music will only bring back more memories of Ember that I can't think about.

Bianca and I have been alone for the past eight months. Everyone that we ever loved is dead. Our dad, all of our friends, Bianca's boyfriend, everyone. All gone. It's like there was a rapture but Jesus did not descend from the heavens to save us. I don't know if God actually exists, but if he does I don't know what kind of message he's trying to send. I'm sure there are other people out there but we've yet to find any. We've been on the road trying to find some sort of safe haven. I wouldn't call Las Vegas a haven but we've been living in the Rose Isle Hotel for the past two months. We've explored all of the Las Vegas strip twice, but now that she's gone I don't know where I'll go.

I drive for about 20 minutes until I spot a Target. Bianca and I loved going to Target and we'd spend hours just walking through all the aisles aimlessly. I park and decide to go in. I could use more supplies anyway. I walk through the broken door and try not stab my feet with the broken glass. The store is wreck. Shelves have been knocked over, various objects have been scattered across the floor, and there are shopping carts spread out like a maze.

I start wading through the sea of shopping carts until I reach the mens department. I guess I could use a sweater in this cold weather. I sift through the clothes on the rack until I find one that I like. I toss it in my shopping cart and that's when I hear the footsteps.

Before I can even turn around, I'm tackled to the ground and my head smacks the floor with a loud thud. The back of my head begins to throb as I'm flipped over and I come face to face with my assailant.

"Who are you?" He asks and I stare back at him bewildered. He's rugged looking, with a black beard and a black mop of hair. His sea green eyes pierce through my soul.

"Get off of me," I hiss. I start to struggle but this guy is strong as hell.

"No, tell me who you are!"

"Nico! Nico di Angelo!" I shout. Hoping the answer will allow this guy to release me from his grip. It works. He lets go and I immediately rub the back of my head. _Shit, what the hell is going on? _

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I shout at him.

"Sorry, I thought-" He stammers. "Nevermind. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"Clearly," I say back. I narrow my eyes at him. This is the first time I'm seeing another person in months and this is this first guy that I meet?

I see that the universe loves to play the cruelest games.

I stand up and grab my cart, I need to get away from this guy.

"Wait, you're the first person I've seen in months. Please don't go." I turn around to get a better look at this guy. He's wearing a black t-shirt, straight jeans, and red Adidas shoes. His biceps are bulging from his shirt and he has a few inches over me. If he weren't so shaggy looking, he might actually be attractive.

What do I even say to this guy?

"I'm Percy. Percy Jackson." He says and extends his hand to shake mine. I look him up and down, not sure what to do.

"Why didn't you start out like that?" I ask, rolling my eyes.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. Excitement I guess?"

This guy is weird. Part of me wants to just walk away but I hear Bianca's voice in my head. _Get to know this guy. _She says. Bianca was always up for a challenge and this guy definitely seems like one.

"Well it's nice to meet you, I guess," I say. We shake hands, his hands are soft which is surprising considering how rugged he looks.

"So where are you coming from? I assume some kind of gala," He says with a sly grin, motioning his hands up and down drawing attention to my suit.

"Oh, this," I forgot I was wearing a full suit and tie. "My sister and I are staying at the Rose Isle Hotel on the Las Vegas strip and we decided to play dress up." I say. I feel my face heat up slightly.

His eyes light up. "Oh, I know all about Rose Isle. I used to work there."

"Cool." I grab my cart and start to push it forward. Percy follows behind me and says, "So what are you here for?"

This guy is nosy, isn't he?

"I just needed a drive and this was the first place I saw." Looking through the kitchen aisle. Do I have a need coffee maker right now?

"Oh," He says. "Well, I'm just gathering supplies before I head to The Haven."

"What's 'The Haven'?"

"Oh," He says again. "It's where the remaining survivors on this godforsaken planet have gathered in New York. It's a big camp base outside of Cedar Falls."

"You're headed all the way to New York? From Nevada?"

"Yep," A grin forms on his lips. "Crazy, right?"

"Very," I say, putting the coffee maker back on its shelf. "So, how do you know about this place?"

"I saw it on Instagram before my phone died. It looks cool as hell and I've been dying to interact with real people and not the ones I talk to in my head." "Are you schizophrenic?" I joke.

He laughs. "No, it's just hard going for months without a single soul to talk to. You must be happy to have your sister. Where is she by the way?"

"She is back at the hotel. She, uh, she passed away last night."

He looks at me with soft, green eyes. His face immediately becomes sympathetic.

"I'm so sorry," He says, empathy radiating in his tone.

"Yeah, well, nothing I can do about it now." I say, continuing to look for supplies.

"Yeah I guess not,"

"Well, do you want to come with me? To The Haven?" I look at him for a second. He can't be serious. We just met only a second ago and now he wants me to travel across the country with him?

"Are you a serial killer?" I ask.

He laughs again. "No, I assume you aren't either."

I shake my head and think for a moment. I know what Bianca would want me to do. I guess there's nothing left for me in Las Vegas anyway.

"Ok, I'll go with you." His face breaks into a huge smile.

"Awesome."

"But, I need to go back to the hotel to get my things."

"Ok, that's cool."

We look for more supplies. There's hardly anything useful in this Target so we decide to give up on our hunt.

"Are you ready to go?" He asks.

"Yeah, there's nothing here." We wade through the shopping cart maze and go back out to the empty parking lot.

"My car is parked behind the store. Let me go bring it around." I wait and then I see a black Chevrolet truck come towards me. I get in my car and he follows me back to the hotel. We park in front of it and get out.

"Follow me," I say to him as he gets out of his car. We walk back into the marvelous hotel and head to my room. Bianca's body is right where I left it on the bed. Percy walks over to it and looks at her face.

"She's beautiful," He says as he analyzes her face. "What's her name?

"Bianca di Angelo."

"An even more beautiful name,"

"Yeah, I know," I go to my backpack and look for a granola bar. "Do you want one?" I ask him as he sits down on the bed.

"Yes, please, I'm starving" He says as I toss it to him.

"Go nuts."

I go back to sorting through my things. A first aid kit, non-perishable food, water, a flashlight, a knife, clothes, a shaving kit, a wireless portable charger, and a picture frame of my family. God I how I miss my dad.

"Is that your family?" Percy asks, peering over my shoulder.

"Yeah my dad, Bianca, and me."

"I bet you miss them, I sure as hell miss my mom too," He says. "She's all I had and now..." He drifts off in memory. "Well you know how it goes."

"Unfortunately, I do," I say a lump forming in my throat. I choke back the tears. "The look on my father's face as he took his last breath will haunt me forever. It was solid but I could see the sorrow in his eyes."

"So if you don't mind me asking how did your sister die? I assume she wasn't taken by the plague,"

I shake my head and take a seat on the bed.

"We thought it was just a rash at first. But it was an infection, we don't know where it came from but it got really bad over the past few weeks. And then last night..." Tears start to flow down my face while I think about it. Percy comes over and pats me on the back.

"It's okay, you don't have to say anymore,"

"Thank you." We sit in silence for a while. I decide to change out of my suit and tie and into something more comfortable.

"Well, do you want to go?" I ask when I'm finished.

"Only if you're ready," He says.

I look over at Bianca. I don't want to leave her but I also know we can't drag her dead body across the country. I gather my stuff and my shaving kit falls out of my bag.

"Oh, can I use that before we leave?" Percy asks. I pick it up and hand it over to him.

"Knock yourself out."

He grabs a bottle of water and the kit and heads into the bathroom. What feels like an eternity passes and he emerges from the bathroom. He's cleanly shaven and I finally get to see what his full face looks like. He has a jaw line that could slice through butter. Without his beard, he actually looks attractive. I'd never tell him that though.

"Let's get out of here," I say. I whisper one last goodbye in Bianca's ear and then kiss her forehead. I take the moon necklace from around her neck for a keepsake. "I won't forget you," I whisper.

Percy grabs my bag and I follow him out the door. I leave the world I once knew laying on a hotel bed. We take my stuff to his truck and load it up.

"Wait," He says. "I actually have something to show you back in the hotel. Remember how I said I used to work here?"

"Yeah, what was your job?"

"Just follow me." We enter back in the hotel and I follow him down the steps into what I assume is going to be a basement. I'm wrong.

It's dark but I make out a stage and a stripper pole. There are chairs scattered about and a buffet table, too.

"You- you were a stripper?" I ask, disbelief settling on my face.

"Yep, for a little over a year before the plague," He says nonchalantly.

"Wow," is all I can say.

"Yeah, we can go, I just wanted to show you this before we left," He says, heading back to the staircase. I follow him back out to his truck and he starts it up.

"So, do you have any idea where we're headed?"

"Yeah, I have a map in the back somewhere," He tells me.

I look back there and spot a gun.

"Why do you have a gun?"

"For protection of course. You never know who or what you might encounter." I guess that makes sense. I'm just glad he didn't use it on me back at Target. Silence fills the air and I stare out of the window watching as the hotels and casinos pass by.

"So with you being a stripper and all, did you ever sleep with any of your clients?" I ask blatantly.

He laughs and says, "You're bold, aren't you?"

"Sorry, it just came to my mind. You don't have to answer."

"No, it's ok. I fucked who I wanted to." He pauses and says, "Girls and guys alike." He winks at me and I feel my face heat up. Is he coming on to me?

"Oh. I see."

He laughs again. "Yeah, I'm bisexual. It's no big thing. I've been pretty open about it ever since I realized back in high school. I played on the football team for the first time and all those guys in the shower. It was mesmerizing."

I stay silent for a moment.

"I'm gay" I admit to him. "I guess I realized that back in elementary school when I had a crush on one of my friends. I told him that I liked him and he punched me in the face."

"Ouch." He says.

"I know but Bianca beat him up for me so now we're even."

"She must've been a really good sister, then."

"Yeah," I sigh. "She was,"

I pull out my phone and start to scroll through pictures of her in my camera roll.

"Wait, you have a working phone?"

"Yeah, I have a wireless charger in my bag somewhere."

"Look up 'The Haven' on Instagram then." I do as he says and look it up. The page loads and I see dozens of photos of the survivors. Each image is a different person with a caption that practically tells their life story. I see photos of the location as well. There are cabins, a lake, a mess hall and probably more that hasn't been shown. The last post was made two days ago.

"Looks like it's still happening." I tell Percy.

"Sweet," He replies.

I put my phone back in my pocket. "So how long until we get to New York?" I ask, mindlessly looking out of the window.

"About a day and half without any stops. But I'm in no rush. We can honestly do what we want. We'll hit Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and then New York."

"Jesus, I've never even been outside of Nevada,"

"Yeah, well, now you get to see the world."

"How lucky," I say sarcastically. The world has to end for me to finally get to explore it. We drift on the highway and the landscape goes by so fast, it's hard to focus on anything.

"Do you wanna play would you rather?" Percy asks, hands tightening and loosening on the steering wheel.

"Sure, I guess it could kill some time."

"I'll start. Would you rather go blind or go deaf?"

"That's tough. I'll have to say deaf, it may be easier to adjust to. What about you?"

"I'd probably say deaf too. I feel like being blind, you're missing too much of the world. Ok, your turn."

"Would you rather your whole body be covered in fur or covered in scales?"

"Fur. I feel like I'd look good as a bear," He says with a smile. I laugh and imagine him covered from head to toe in thick brown fur.

"No comment,"

"Oh c'mon, you know I'd be even sexier."

"I see someone has an inflated ego," I roll my eyes at him and he just smiles wider.

He flexes one of his biceps and says, "It comes with the body,"

"Oh whatever," I say but I still a few glances over at his arms. They are pretty big. And I bet underneath he has abs like a god. _Stop it brain, I can't fuck this guy. No way. _"OK back to the game, ask me a question," I say.

"Would you rather suck on my lips or my di-"

"Game over." I huff.

Jesus, this guy is annoying.

"Oh, you're no fun." He says through his laughter. Obviously, pleased with himself. "I see you looking at me. I see right through you. I know you want to fuck,"

My face heats up as if it's been set on fire. _Damn, was I that obvious?_

"I don't know what you're talking about," I can only stare out of the window, embarrassed at being found out.

"You're really cute, you know that? Especially, when you blush like that,"

I debate whether I should jump out of the car or not.

"You're so annoying, why did I agree to this again?"

He throws his head back and laughs. We continue to drive and we start to play Fuck, Marry, Kill. We go through countless number of people deciding whether we'd sleep with them, marry them, or kill them. I'm surprised he'd rather marry Niall over Harry.

"He just seems like a real good guy, you know?" He says, trying to justify his answer.

"So you like good guys?"

"I'm starting to like cute, brunettes too."

"Good thing I have black hair."

"My mistake, but you know I gotta ask," He looks over at me and points towards my legs. "Does the carpet match the drapes?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, well, maybe you'll find out one day," I say. Two can play this game.

"Can't wait for that day then," He says, a smile lighting up his face. I just roll my eyes and stare out of the window. This is going to be quite the trip. What did I get myself into?


End file.
